Thursday, August 13, 2009

The Power of Now....

I am currently reading "The Power of Now" before I attempt to read "A New Earth", which is one of the core books in the lululemon library. I'm finding it really interesting but can see how it would only be a useful tool if you are at the right stage in your life for it. Earlier in my life I probably would have wanted to read this and would have tried to, but I would have struggled to have any of the concepts truly resonate. That's not to say that I can get my head around everything in the book right now, because I can't, and maybe I never will. But there are writings in here that are so spot on in explaining some of the feelings and changes I have experienced over the past year, that its quite extraordinary.

One of the concepts that I can really relate to is the idea of what true fulfillment feels like. This is something that I have experienced at certain times in the past year but I never knew how to define it or explain it. Ekhart Tolle describes it as a state of freedom - from fear, from suffering, from a perceived state of lack and insufficiency and therefore from all wanting, needing, grasping, and clinging. It is a freedom from compulsive thinking, from negativity, and above all from the past and the future. This is not an easy state to achieve and some people may never experience it. I have had fleeting glimpses of it and it is such an amazing way to exist (particularly since I have spent most of my life being constrained by all the things mentioned above). When you can experience being free of these things (ie fear, wanting, compulsive thinking, negative thinking, the past, the future) you are completely and utterly focused on the present moment and it truly does feel as though the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders. You are actually aware of how amazing everyone and everything around you is and you just have the greatest feeling of contentment.

The challenge is to achieve that state most of, if not all of, the time. It is not easy and often it is only experienced at or after a time of suffering, great sickness, near death etc. I'm starting to think that it occurs at this time because in those very dark moments, when you have absolutely no answers left or no energy left to fight with, you surrender. And it is this ability to truly surrender to life, accept whatever comes, and know that you will be okay that helps you achieve fulfillment.